Guest Book

Well, since everyone else is posting their thoughts on this Dickey issue, I guess I’ll throw my two cents into the hopper. First and foremost, before I get started, I want to say that I have the utmost respect for the opinions of all ABB fans and all who have ever been involved with the band. Just because we may disagree on some things doesn’t mean that we’re still not a family. Having said that, we need to remember that what we are talking about is an ART FORM. There are no absolutes in any art, only personal interpretation. Lets not make this like we are discussing the Gospel. There has been a lot of debate in here that the sound of the band has changed since the Dickey split happened. The sound did change, however, I am not hearing anything about the sound changing after Duane and Berry passed away. That was the biggest change of all! This band, as any other, is a collection of people with individual musical personalities. If you remove one piece, the sound will change naturally and there is nothing wrong with that. If you listen to the band’s comments on the Beacon DVD, they discuss the sound, where it came from and how it is evolving now. They INVOKE the old sound but are taking the music to a NEW place. Besides, who wants a Dickey clone anyway? I don’t! I’d rather hear Warren and Derek be themselves: putting their stamp on the music with hints of the past. That is better than cloning it. If you are looking for them to play things exactly like a past lineup, you are missing the point of the Allman Brothers Band and you’ll be disappointed. As far as hearing Dickey’s songs, there are less being played, but I have heard Liz Reed, Jessica, High Falls, Revival, No One Left To Run With and Southbound over the past four years (and some good versions too). Big deal if we don’t hear Seven Turns, Rambling Man and Blue Sky? I’ll hear those when I go see Dickey’s band. This most recent line up is a great for me because I feel like I am seeing these guys at their best (in my lifetime) and it is some of the best music I’ve ever heard. I personally get the same feeling from this group that I got hearing the original lineup for the first time. It’s like the ‘Next Generation” in a way. You can tell that everyone is happy and enjoying the process. The music that is being created, the communication and evolution between the band members is at an all time high. To me, that is the vision Duane Allman had for this band. On top of that, Gregg is sounding better than ever, Derek keeps getting better and better (and is playing more straight leads) and we got Warren back, who to be is one of the best musicians I’ve ever heard. This band is breaking new ground, which is awesome after 35 years. Every other band of the ABB’s generation is stuck in the same old patterns and are doing reunion tours with no new music (if they are even still together). All I know is that I am catching this lineup as much as I can! I hope it stays together as long as it can too. All of this is not to say that I don’t love all of the previous lineups. All of the lineups were special for their own reasons and will be near and dear to me. Let’s enjoy this one too! After all, the reviews of everything the band has done in the post-Dickey era has been thumbs up. We’re lucky we have what we have. Keep on ridin’ boys!